As we travel through new and uncertain times, your church family would like to be a trusted navigator on our new paths and to walk beside you. We will be uploading videos, prayers, helpful hints, and much more. We also would like to hear from you on what is working and how your family has found solace in this difficult time.

I will share with you that Ben and I have discovered three new walking trails, cooked some new recipes, and watched some movies while Brian and I have had lots of time to reconnect and to think about cleaning out closets. I guess we can tackle that next week.

As many of you know Ben is graduating this year and our friends and family were coming to see his graduation from Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas. He was looking forward to being the center of attention and to having his accomplishments honored. Many of us are having to realign our expectations to stay well but celebrating our children’s life markers is essential to a healthy development. We have arranged for Ben to have a party everywhere we travel as soon as the ban has been lifted. Each place we go, i.e. Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine and San Antonio will be a part of the celebration of Ben. Not all our children are of an age in which waiting is a part of their development. As we head quickly to Holy Week and Easter, we can find ways to celebrate what we would normally gather for that are just as rememberable. There are several ideas listed here to have a great Easter Celebration and we would love to see pictures of any or all your new and different celebrations.

In addition to Children’s ministries, we will be uploading commentaries for Sunday Readings and for Holy Week to our website for Adults Education. We may be able to create a lectionary class on zoom and have an opportunity to talk about the readings…more to come.

Give each child a balloon to inflate and tie off. Have children each place the balloon under one of their feet.

Say: I’m going to call out things that can cause stress in your life. Maybe the thing I call out causes a little stress for you. If so, put a little pressure on your balloon. Or perhaps the thing I call out causes a lot of stress for you. If so, put a lot of pressure on your balloon. Don’t release the pressure between things that I call out.

Call out things that can cause stress in a child’s life, such as parents fighting, a test at school, a family move, being sick, a pet dying, too much to do, breaking a friend’s toy, and so on. Continue to call out stresses kids face until the list is exhausted or the balloons are broken.

Have kids turn to a partner and discuss these questions: Which thing made you put the most pressure on your balloon? How did you feel as you pressed on your balloon? How do you feel when you’re stressed in real life?

Read aloud Philippians 4:6.

Ask: How can God help us deal with the stress in our lives?

Say: Let’s do what God tells us to do when we’re anxious or stressed. Let’s pray for one another right now.

Have kids pray with the partners they discussed the questions with earlier.

Kandi Elliott

Outdoor Game : All Shook Up-About Anger

Play this game outside because it’s messy. Give each kid a can of a diet soft drink (less sticky.) Have kids each pass around their can as each person shares an example of something that makes them really angry-and shake the can a couple of times.

Then have each kid toss the can quickly from person to person as they tell what they do when they get mad. The person who first drops the can must open it.

Ask: How was what happened to the insides of the can like or unlike what happens to our insides when we get angry?

Read aloud Ephesians 4:26.

Ask: Does this verse say it’s a sin to be angry? Why or why not? What does this verse say to do with our anger? How do you think God wants us to deal with our anger the next time we’re ready to blow?